ENCOUNTER: DAY 11

LEAVING BEHIND THE THINGS THAT WEIGH US DOWN,GIVING OURSELVES TO REPENTENCE, AND PRESSING AHEAD TOWARD PROMISE REDEMPTION.


SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 11


Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you, he is
mighty to save. He will take great delight
in you, he will quiet you with his love, he
will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV)


MEDITATION by Amy Galloway


I always have difficulty sleeping the night before a conference that I am leading or teaching. Last minute details and final revisions to my teaching run endlessly through my head.

To calm my spirit, I usually spend those hours in prayer, entrusting the loose ends to Jesus. It is here I often ask the question, “Lord, what is your heart for this group?” Oh, the beautiful things he impresses upon me in those moments!

During one retreat, I sensed he wanted every woman to leave the retreat like Ruth when she left the threshing floor where she had sought the favor of Boaz—each woman's shawl would be filled with sustenance to take back to her home, family, and ministry.

On another retreat, God impressed upon me in those wee hours of the night that his heart’s desire was to rejoice over the women with singing.

Most often, when we think of songs in the Bible, we think of the praise and worship we ourselves lift up to the Lord. But there are a few times in scripture where God himself is singing or orchestrating songs on our behalf. Psalm 32:7 says, “You surround me with songs of deliverance…” Job says his maker gives “songs in the night” (Job 35:10). And Psalm 68:6 tells us, “God leads forth the prisoners with singing…” How amazing to realize that among the activities of the spiritual realm we are not yet privileged to see, is the singing of our God over us!

As we come alongside missionaries to support them, we see many significant moments of healing rooted exactly in Zephaniah 3:17—he is with us, he will save us, he delights in us, he will quiet us, and perhaps sometimes he is even singing these truths over us.

It is easy to become despondent about the pervasive problem of sin in our hearts as we take a long, hard look at our brokenness during the season of Lent. Our true transformation comes not only when we recognize our sinfulness, but also when we hear the unmistakable song of the Good Shepherd telling us how much we are loved in spite of our failings and wandering hearts. This beautiful verse in Zephaniah is tucked into a book whose theme is predominantly a pronouncement of judgment over the nation of Judah for their unrelenting waywardness. Despite this, the Lord says to them, “Don’t you see how I long to save you, to delight in you, to rejoice over you with singing? Return to me!”

As that retreat unfolded, God indeed “sang” over each woman: beautiful songs of delight, strength, encouragement, and renewed purpose, despite the messiness of life in their marriage, team, or ministry. It was a beautiful picture of the transforming power of God’s love. May we, too, have ears to hear the songs of love inviting us to return to him.

REFLECTION


In the past, have you experienced God "singing" over you? What were the circumstances?


What kind of song do you need to hear from God at this time in your life? A song of deliverance? A song of comfort in the night? A song to persevere? A song of celebration?


Which phrase in Zephaniah 3:17 stands out the most to you and why?